Immunity is on everyone’s mind these days and not only because of the current unprecedented circumstances – we’re also in the thick of the cold and flu season – and who wants to get sick with anything? So what can we do to make sure we stay well this winter?

Dr Daniel Davies, a professor of immunology at the University of Manchester, cites British doctor Edward Jenner’s development of the first successful vaccine as the beginning of our understanding that the body has a defence system. Since the development of the smallpox vaccine in 1796, there have been numerous breakthroughs and advances in the development of other vaccines and treatments to help protect our health. But should we be doing anything in our everyday lives to help keep our immune systems functioning at their best and to maximise our own illness fighting capabilities? The answer is there’s quite a bit you could be doing to help support your immunity, but here are 5 ‘pillars’ or areas that you can focus on to help maintain your immune health.

1. Vaccines : Stay up to date on the vaccinations your doctor recommends. It's especially important to protect yourself from the flu this year so that you can help keep your immune system strong from other illnesses. So, talk to your GP and see when you can get your flu shot.
2. Sleep: Lack of sleep can negatively impact your immune sleep. Studies have shown that those that do not get enough quality sleep are more susceptible to getting sick than those that sleep well, and it takes that longer to recover. Having regular poor sleep can lead to body-wide inflammation which can increase your chances of getting sick and make it hard to recover. It is recommended that adults get 6-9 hours of sleep every night, so use the time you need to get up in the morning to help work out what time you should be going to sleep.
3. Exercise: Regular physical activity can help your immune system stay strong and healthy, and it doesn’t have to be strenuous. Exercise can help maintain good circulation of blood throughout the body, allowing nutrients to get to the places they need to be to help maintain your body's mechanisms effectively. Good circulation can also help transport the white blood cells and antibodies from your immune system to help combat germs and bacteria. Regular physical activity can also help expel any bacteria and germs from your lungs and other airway passages. There are lots of different ways you can get regular exercise, like taking daily 20-30 minutes walks or going to the gym every other day. You can and should pick what works best for you and your schedule.
4. Stress: Just like lack of sleep, if stress goes on for too long it can negatively affect your immune system, by making you more vulnerable to illnesses. Chronic stress messes with your cortisol levels which then work to suppress your immune system. And constant imbalances of cortisol can trigger inflammation which may weaken your immune system over time. That’s why it’s important to work on lessening your stress.
5. Diet: One of the most important pillars of supporting your immune system is your diet. There’s no one food that can magically boost the immune system but eating a wide variety of nutritious fruits and vegetables will deliver the array of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that help keep inflammation at bay and immunity strong. A good diet can also promote a healthy balance of gut bacteria, which is important because much of your immune system is housed in your gut.

That's why we have collected what science says about immune bolstering ingredients and put them all together into an immune boosting formula containing over 20 natural ingredients to help you stay fighting fit this winter:

 

A powerful immunity formula combining potent natural antiviral and antibacterial ingredients. Each herb, berry, fruit, root, mushroom, bulb, vitamin and mineral has a proven ability to boost your immune system:

	Vitamin C is a very strong antioxidant and a very good review found that taking it regularly cut the duration of a cold by about 8%for adults and 14% for children. Most complications from serious flu are due to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) This is caused by our immune system producing a cytokine storm where our immune system overreacts, producing a massive state of inflammation which causes difficulty breathing and is the basis of pneumonia. Fortunately our bodies can fight this inflammation but it needs vitamin C to do this.
	Acerola Cherry: provide a naturally powerful source of bio-available vitamin C. 1 small acerola cherry contains around 80mg of vitamin C which is about 30 times the amount found in oranges (of the same weight)
	Zinc: There is evidence that certain forms of this mineral (zinc gluconate and zinc acetate) can shorten the time you are sick by two to three days.
	Vitamin D: A 2017 meta-analysis found that taking a supplement of this daily or weekly could reduce the number of colds people who had low levels of it came down with, But while experts suspect that being deficient in this vitamin may be more associated with more severe cases of the virus, there is still no evidence that taking a supplement will help avoid that. 50% of the UK population is vitamin D deficient and is essential for a healthy immune response. T cells, a group of immune cells in our bodies are critical for immune defence. They attack foreign bacteria and viruses but can’t if the body doesn’t have enough vitamin D. NHS and PHE and WHO recommends that everyone in the UK should be taking vitamin D during the winter months.
	Vitamin E: One study found that in seniors taking vitamin E compared with a placebo led to significantly fewer upper respiratory infections. The vitamin may enhance the function of disease fighting cells that start to misfire with age.
	Elderberry extract: Elderberries contain more vitamin C than other traditional fruits. Studies suggest that this very strong antioxidant might be helpful in decreasing the severity of viral infections like colds and flu and have been used since the Stone Age to treat colds and viral infections and work to enhance immune function by boosting the production of cytokines.
	Rosehip: a great natural source of vitamin C and bioflavonoids. There is as much vitamin C in cup of rosehip pulp as 40 oranges.
	Grapefruit Seed: A highly effective, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic and anti-fungal ingredient. It has been proven to be effective against over 800 strains of viruses and bacteria, 100 strains of fungi, plus several single-celled parasites – no other anti-microbial can make such claims.
	Baobab fruit: Famed for its incredible nutritional properties, studies show that baobab can help to reduce inflammation and prevent oxidative damage to cells. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury or infection.
	Astralagus root: Studies have shown that regular use of this root leads to an increase in disease fighting immune antibodies and stimulation of T cells (which are powerful immune-regulating white blood cells) and an increase in levels of the anti-viral compound interferon.
	Black aged garlic: possesses an abundant amount of antioxidant compounds such as polyphenols and flavonoids. Garlic is a broad spectrum anti-viral and antibiotic, ale to fight infection and kill a wide variety of fungi (more than 60), bacteria (more than 20), viruses, protozoa, parasites and amoebas due to its active constituents, allicin and ajoene.
	Olive leaf: an excellent anti-microbial against many species of virus and bacteria. It has been used for centuries particularly in Mediterranean countries to prevent and treat parasitic and yeast infections.
	Lactobacillus acidophilus: a type of friendly probiotic bacteria helps to combat invading pathogens and other harmful micro-organisms. Probiotics are essential for a strong and effective immune system as they are involved in countless processes such as the production of B vitamins and the healthy absorption of foods and nutrients.
	Ginger root: A warming herb which helps to ensure that toxins are kept circulating until properly eliminated. It is also calming to the stomach and can help combat feelings of nausea which may be produced during the detox process.
	Turmeric: the yellow pigment in turmeric called curcumin is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent as well as being a polyphenol which enhances T cell immunity
	Black Pepper (piperine): a very good anti-inflammatory agent. Black pepper has been included in this formula specifically because it increases the absorption and utilisation of the other beneficial ingredients.
	Cayenne: an ideal addition to any treatment formula to kill bugs and parasites. The volatile oil, capsaicin, within cayenne gives the herb its “hotness” weakens parasites because they do not like a warm environment.
	Reishi mushrooms: studies have shown molecules within this mushroom can affect and boost the genes in white blood cells which are the critical parts of the immune system.
	Vitamin B6: contributes to the function of the immune system, the regulation of hormonal activity, energy yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
	Selenium: this mineral plays a big part in our health and immune response. Selenium neutralises free radicals which causes inflammation in our bodies and works with vitamin E to safeguard cell membranes, the protective coating around cells.

 

Reference: Surviving ARDS: IHCAN May 20; Dr Dan Davies, Prof of immunology, Univ of Manchester UK; NHS; Queen Mary Univ; American Medical Assoc (JAMA); Verywell Health; Nutrients 2016; How to boost your immune system (2020) Harvard Health Publishing